This article contains spoilers of Friday's Oz the Great and Powerful.
"Start the album at the lion's third roar."
The above quote is a mantra of ultraviolet basement-dwellers the world over, brave pilgrims of the ceremonious journey that is "Dark Side of the Rainbow." In 1995, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette publicized the kinetic experience achieved by watching The Wizard of Oz while simultaneously listening to Pink Floyd's iconic 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. The phenomenon earned a variety of evaluations, ranging from "A mild-altering spiritual experience!" to "A worthwhile way to pass a Saturday," to "Complete bulls***." It's probably a little of each.
But with such a reputable companionship with the 1939 classic, we wondered if Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon would opt for the same kind of union with the latest incarnation of the yellow brick road: Walt Disney's new feature film, Oz the Great and Powerful. And although we approached the idea with a bit of levity... it kind of works.
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A viewing of Oz the Great and Powerful, teamed with a never-leave-home-without-it recording of the '73 album, yeilded the sort of results in which our forefathers — the pioneers who first discovered this prodigious marvel (or giant crock, but we're staying whimsical here) — might have first experienced that new sense of wonder. Don't believe it? Well, let us take you on a journey...
"Speak to Me/Breathe"Plays during the opening titles — a puppet show preamble to the fantastical film — and our black-and-white introduction to small-scale conman Oscar Diggs (James Franco). Nothing too remarkable here, but then...
"On the Run"Oz's first show! A levitation/disappearing act that involves the audience participation of a young lady, "chosen at random." The reverberating instrumentals of the song crescendo as Oz lifts his assistant from the confines of gravity and transports her assistant into a wondrous oblivion.
"Time"As the storm (both emotional and literal) kicks up, so do the clocks of "Time." Oz hides away in his tent while angry circus strong men seek vengeance on him, earning a visit from his beloved Emily (Michelle Williams in her non-witch incarnation). When Emily slams Oz with the news that she's getting married to John Gale, the lyricized portion of "Time" begins abruptly. Her announcement of engagement is followed by an immediate and harsh, "Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day..."
"The Great Gig in the Sky"Here's the kicker. Just as Dorothy ascends to the heavens during "Great Gig in the Sky," so does Oz. The appropriately titled number launches as he hops into his getaway hot air balloon, with Clare Torry's mind-melting vocals climaxing as the storm gives way to a strange and mystical new reality... we have entered another realm.
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"Money"Another Wizard of Oz/Oz the Great and Powerful similarity: "Money" chimes in, with its cash register/clanging change sound effects accompanying the striking visuals of the colorful land of Oz, just as the case in the original.
"Us and Them"Gotta be honest, I don't remember what the hell happened here.
"Any Colour You Like"More colours! Water fairies, crystal flowers, flying apes, the works!
"Brain Damage/Eclipse"Here's one that works best in retrospect. Oz seduces his welcome wagon, witch Theodora (Mila Kunis), with a romantic woodland dance set to a music box tune. While it seems like a sweet, sentimental scene at first glance, those who sat through the film can pinpoint this as when Oz does in fact impart a bit of "brain damage" unto poor Theodora. And that's as spoilery as we're getting.
But don't take our word for it. Try it out yourself! And let us know: artistic miracle or hippie nonsense?
Follow Michael Arbeiter on Twitter @MichaelArbeiter.
[Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures]
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Whenever a contemporary filmmaker makes a return to the world of a beloved classic film, the task is unenviable. As classic films go, they don’t come much more beloved than 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. Based on the book by L. Frank Baum, the film is about—wait, that’s just it. No one really needs to be reminded of the plot of The Wizard of Oz. Even if you are among the tiny faction of people who haven’t seen it, so many of the film’s key story points are engrained into our collective culture.
This weekend, Sam Raimi faces this challenge as he brings to the screen Oz The Great and Powerful for Disney. This however is not the first time audiences have experienced a return to Oz; point of fact it’s not even the first time that return has come by way of Walt Disney Pictures.
In 1985, Walter Murch directed Return to Oz, which borrowed from two of the other books in the Oz series: The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz. The movie is, shall we say, decidedly different from the Judy Garland iteration of filmic Oz. More to the point, it’s just plain bizarre.Gathered here below are seven of the strangest aspects of one of the strangest gems from our childhood.
RELATED: 15 'Oz' Adaptations You Didn't Know You Needed (and 2 That Are NSFW)
A Shocking Prologue
When MGM added their own flair to the Oz literary canon, it lead to the creation of the wonderful ruby slippers that became indelible to both the 1939 movie and the Oz legacy. When Disney decided to add something new to the literary/cinematic legacy, they went with electroshock therapy. The film opens on the Gale farm, but the sepia tone drabness that characterized the prologue of The Wizard of Oz is suddenly replaced with out-and-out bleakness in Return to Oz, as Dorothy’s family has her committed; seeing her tales of witches, wizards, and fantasy worlds as mental illness. Whimsical!
Fairuza Balk
Even though the events of Return to Oz take place after The Wizard of Oz, you may notice that Dorothy looks much younger in Return than she did in Wizard. It may also cross your mind that the young actress playing Dorothy looks terribly familiar. You remember that edgy goth girl from The Craft and American History X? That’s whom Return to Oz’s Dorothy grows up to be! Fairuza Balk’s later roles, and the Hollywood persona she cultivated, retroactively make her casting one of the weirdest aspects of revisiting the film.
Interchangeable Heads
One can imagine a small child, maybe one who had just seen The Wizard of Oz for the first time, popping in the VHS of Return to Oz and running from the room in terror upon being introduced to the head-swapping antagonist Mombi. Granted, this is an element that existed in Ozma from Oz, but when they were cherry picking which elements from the two books to roll into Return to Oz, why did they opt for a villainess who cuts off the heads of dancing girls and keeps them on display until she decides to put on a new one like a hat? Suddenly the green makeup of The Wicked Witch of the West doesn’t seem so scary.
Tik-Tok is an Upside-Down Man
Though The Tin Man does make a cameo toward the end of the film, Tik-Tok is the character who really serves in that capacity in Return to Oz. That clockwork military man is distinctive for his gruff demeanor, metal moustache, and waddling gait. As you might guess by looking at him, there is an actor inside the Tik-Tok suit. What might be slightly less clear is that the actor is in fact a gymnast who is standing on his hands, backwards, and with his legs bent inside the suit. Knowing that little tidbit, it’s hard to watch Tik-Tok walk without thinking of Cirque du Soleil…which just makes everything that much more frightening.
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Crazed Claymation
When The Nome King realizes that Dorothy has bested him at his own game, he slowly transforms into a giant rock mass that then tries to eat our heroine and her friends. Talk about nightmare fuel, the towering stop-motion villain may somewhat resemble a pile of Play-Doh, but the movement of the figure, the flames behind him, and the physicality of his monstrous chewing makes The Nome King look like a hell wraith. Upon ingesting an egg, which is inexplicably a gnome’s one weakness according to this film, the limestone baddie dissolves until he is naught but a rock skull. It somewhat harkens back to the melting of The Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, if that melting was about ten times scarier.
Scarecreep
One of the things that is most painfully absent from Return to Oz is The Scarecrow; all of Dorothy’s companions from the first movie in fact. Sure, they turn up briefly near the end, but it is thoroughly disappointing how much their intended larger involvement was marginalized by budgetary issues. Or, based on what we actually behold when The Scarecrow shows up, maybe it isn’t that disappointing. There is nothing that says that the designs of these characters needs to ape those of The Wizard of Oz, but there is something intensely creepy about The Scarecrow in Return to Oz. He barely moves his mouth in his first scene, he sports the fixed expression of a theme park mascot, and he walks like he’s a boogeyman intent on scaring everyone, not just the crows.
The Prequel to The Prequels?
Return to Oz, in some small way, may have facilitated the creation of the Star Wars prequels. The story goes like this: Return to Oz director Walter Murch was friends with George Lucas. One day, he invited George to come to the set. While there, George wanders off and ends up meeting Rick McCallum on a different sound stage. The two become friends, McCallum ends up producing the 1997 re-releases of the original Star Wars trilogy, and later the prequels. That’s not to say this meeting on the set of Return to Oz was solely responsible for those dreadful prequels, but it’s a pretty freaky coincidence. Oddly enough, Tik-Tok is given a shiny golden makeover for the celebration at the end of Return to Oz, much like the one enjoyed by C-3P0 at the close of Star Wars.
[Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures (2)]
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Friday, movie goers will have another Oz tale to fall in love with, just shy of 75 years after the original Wizard of Oz hit theaters. Oz the Great and Powerful gives us a different take on the classic tale, delivering the Emerald City's famous wizard (James Franco) as he becomes the man behind the curtain and meets the witches (Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Wiesz) who will later dictate the fate of one Dorothy Gale.
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While it may appear that Disney's take on Oz is the first attempt at extending the Oz universe in pop culture, the merry old land of Oz has actually been spawned into so many filmic, televisual, and textual adaptations that the pieces can't even fit into one solid timeline (it's got at least three that run parallel to each other). But did you know that amongst those adaptations are Korean comic books, game shows, and even some mild pornographic cartoons? Well, there are. And for those who make it to the bottom, prepare to have your entire childhood completely ruined. Spoiler alert?
Here are the 22 Oz adaptations you didn't you needed (and a few no all-powerful wizard could erase from your fragile memory):
1. The One Where Dorothy is She-Hulk and The Cowardly Lion is Captain America.
The Avengers teamed up for Marvel's Fairy Tales series to tell the story of Dorothy's visit to Oz.
2. The One Inspired By Apocalypse Now.
Oh yeah, Heart of Darkness and Dorothy traipsing through Oz: totally the same thing. This is going to do some serious damage.
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3. The Japanese Cartoon One That Takes Place in Space and Has the Best Theme Song Ever.
Alright, someone get me an MP3 of this cheestastic '80s theme. It's almost on Inspector Gadget level.
4. The One Where Dorothy Sounds Like Mickey Mouse.
This 1933 cartoon version makes Dorothy into a stout little cartoon lady who inexplicably has the same voice as every Silly Symphony character.
5. The One Where Dorothy Goes XXX.
The cover of Alan Moore's comic book Lost Girls looks innocent, but inside its placid binding are pages of X-rated material involving Dorothy, Alice (of Alice in Wonderland), and Wendy Darling (from Peter Pan) and their sexually explicit adventures — sometimes with each other. Consider your childhood tainted.
6. The One Where It's All In Turkish.
It's all about those dance sequences, starting with the one at 3:58.
7. The One Where Oz is a Text Adventure Video Game.
Rivetting stuff. And that beep-laden music, oh my!
8. The One Where Oz is a Metaphor Used for Self-Help Teachings.
Don't let "false wizards" tear your family apart. And never forget "there's no place like home." This is not a drill, folks.
9. The One Were It's an Australian Rock Opera.
Get it? Because they call Australia "Oz"? And it's rock 'n' roll because Dorothy is riding a motorcycle? Thank you for this incredible piece of cinema, 1976.
10. The One Where Dorothy is the Hero of a Korean Comic Book.
Okay angry nerds already formulating some comment for the bottom of this post, it's actually Manhwa but most people have no idea what that is. Anyway, Dorothy kicks some serious ass in these comics. She also looks like she is strangling that poor dog. Perhaps there's a darker storyline they're not advertizing here...
11. The One Where Sweet, Little Dorothy Gets Electroshock Therapy.
Because, you know, thinking you went to a land of munchkins, tin men, and flying monkeys is totally bonkers.
12. The One With Multiple Singing Dorothys
BBC's Over the Rainbow was a game show much like The Voice or American Idol aimed at finding a Dorothy and a Toto for the stage version of The Wizard of Oz. Sometimes it got a little creepy.
13. The Anime One Where Dorothy Looks Suspiciously Like Alice in Wonderland.
But really though, why isn't she the plucky little brunette we've come to know and love?
14. The One That's a Silent Movie of a Stageplay, Complete With Men Dressed as Donkeys and Cows.
Who knew a man in a cow suit could be so terrifying?
15. The One Starring Richard Dreyfus and Zooey Deschanel's Surprised Face.
Back when SyFy was spelled properly (SciFi) they gave us an alternate regular world story about a regular girl who gets into a regular supernatural pickle. Regular.
16. The One Where a Ginger Dorothy is the Lead Character in a Final Fantasy-style Video Game.
Just watch her and her trusty companions spin! There's nothing they can't do!
17. The One We Can't Post Here Because It's Too Disturbing.
Seriously. This is f**ked up. NSFW, duh.
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler
[Photo Credits: Merie Wallace/Disney; Marvel; UDON; Top Shelf Comics; Hillcrest Publishing]
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It’s Wednesday! And come hell or high water, rain or shine, I’m here to bring you your weekly list of oh-so-fun spoilers. This week’s edition of Leanne's Spoiler List comes to you from the cloudy land of the Great North. That’s right, TV lovers, I’m currently in Canada searching for the real Robin Sparkles, and visiting the sets of some of my favorite shows. (More on that next week but here’s a teaser: Things on Once Upon a Time are about to get terrifyingly twisted y’all!) This week is packed with top-rated shows. I’ve got all the details on a rocky Grey’s Anatomy romance, chatted with Criminal Minds’ Joe Mantegna about tonight’s shocking new episode, and nabbed some Vampire Diaries scoop from its all-knowing creator, Julie Plec. Plus, I’ve got the goods on what’s coming up on Supernatural, How I Met Your Mother, and Arrow! Enjoy these steamy spoilers while I try not to freeze to death to get you more scoop!
1. Grey’s Anatomy: Cheer Up Callie!
There are two things in life that I’ll always love: 1. Actors who play doctors. (They’re always happy because they get to wear scrubs everyday!) 2. Sparkly things.(Duh.) So you can imagine my extreme delight last Saturday when I interviewed Sara Ramirez while wearing a pink tiara at Disney Junior’s Sofia the First premiere. (By the way, Ramirez plays Queen Miranda, an actually sweet stepmother.) After we "ooh-ed" and “aah-ed” about the fairies on the lavender carpet (No lie), Ramirez and I had some serious girl talk about what’s coming up for Callie after her particularly devastating life changes so far this season. The actress reveals, “Basically she’s just in survival mode in her personal life and in her professional life she has busied herself with Derek Shepherd’s hand/wrist, helping with all that nerve damage that he experienced from the plane crash. She’s keeping busy and trying to make herself useful at the hospital.“
Callie’s personal life with Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) has been rocky in these past few episodes (to say the least), and Ramirez explains that Callie will continue to be cautious with her behavior at home. “I think that given that her wife is just getting back up on her feet — or foot as it were — Callie is sort of just trying not to make anything worse.”
Though Calzona (I freakin’ love that shipper name, bee tee dubs) is experiencing yet another rough patch, Ramirez told me that she is actually excited for this one. “What I kind of love is that a couple seasons ago, Arizona was there for Callie when Callie was going through [a lot] — you know, she almost died and lost her baby. So what’s really great this season was seeing how, in a sense, the roles have been reversed and Arizona is now going through something medical and that is very, very scary and upsetting and Callie is now having to be strong and be the rock and very forgiving. So we’ll see how that plays out.”
Something tells me that this couple will definitely make it through this mess, but I do wish that Callie would start smiling a bit more. Ramirez says with a laugh, “Totally! I couldn’t agree more.” Looking ahead to this week’s episode, Ramirez says Seattle Grace fans can look forward to yet another amazing episode. “We’ve shot some pretty intense scenes," she says. "This next episode, which is Chandra Wilson’s, is really fantastic. She did a really great job, so I’m excited for that episode.“
2. Supernatural: Meet The New Ladies!
Grab your lassoes and hop on your horses, Supernatural fans, because later this season, the sexiest brothers on TV are ready to cowboy up and get down and dirty on a ranch. In episode 13, “Trial and Error,” fans will be introduced to three new ladies that Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) meet in Idaho. Yes, you read that correctly: Idaho. It sounds a little boring compared to some of our recent adventures, but let’s decide that after we meet the little hoes, shall we? First up is Ellie, a girl in her mid-20s that is being described as “cowgirl hot" — think girl next door, but with a county twist. Ellie manages a ranch and her personality weaves between straight-forward and spunky.
But the most important part about Ellie is that she’s got to be gorgeous. (Um hello! It is a CW show after all!) The casting breakdown says the show's hoping to nab a “younger Sandra Bullock to Emma Stone” type of girl. The brothers will also be chatting it up with two sisters — twins to be exact. Alice and Cindy Cassity are two thirtysomething girls, and are simply described as “pretty” — think Gwyneth Paltrow. They are the slightly pretentious daughters of Cyrus Cassidy, the owner of a ranch. Whether or not this is the same ranch that Ellie manages is TBD. All right I’ve got to be honest, these girls all seem great and all but the biggest question is this: Can they bake pie?
3. Criminal Minds: Rossi’s Reveal
Criminal Minds is freakin’ awesome. I used to be scarily obsessed with it, but when I saw the an episode guest-starring James Van Der Beek as a split personality, homicidal maniac, my Dawson’s Creek heart couldn’t take it and I had nightmares for weeks. Now that I’m a bit older, and have discovered that my cell phone can double as a nightlight, I’ve fully re-embraced Criminal Minds, adding it back onto my elite DVR list. Last week I had to pleasure of chatting with Joe Mantegna and he explained why he believes fans are so obsessed — and rightfully so — with this CBS hit. “We like to think we’re a thinking person’s show," he says. "We don’t speak down to our audience. We try to challenge them and let them explore this world with us." This week’s episode, titled “The Fallen," is going to be a huge treat for long-time viewers of the series. After all, we're finally going to get a more in-depth look into David Rossi’s past. “We’ve alluded to the fact that my character, David Rossi, had some background in the military," the actor says. "That’s going to really get explored [this week]. As a young man, he was in Vietnam with his commanding officer at that time and now David runs into him many, many years after and see that he is homeless on the streets of Los Angeles.”
Through flashbacks, we’re going to gain more knowledge of Rossi’s past as a soldier in Vietnam and Mantegna says he was delighted to meet Robert Dunne, the actor who plays young David. “We only got to meet at the read-through because, obviously, we can’t be at the same place at the same time, but he did a wonderful job and I bought it," he says. "And I figure if I bought it then everybody else would be able to buy it."
So prepare yourself, Criminal Minds fans, for a personal and provocative episode. “In this case, Veterans and homelessness are issues that are relevant and I think that we do it in a very interesting and entertaining way," Mantegna says. "I couldn’t be happier with the episode.”
4. Arrow: That’s So 2007
Tonight’s episode of Arrow once again starts off with a shirtless Oliver (Stephen Amell). I really hope that this becomes a weekly tradition, because, holy hell, that man is definitely bringing sexy back. And speaking of out-of-date pop culture references, it looks like Ollie needs to take a crash course on what’s hot and what’s not in 2012. For example (as Thea so painstaking points out on the series), “Oh snap” is no longer a socially acceptable comeback and Dr. Oz is in no way, shape, or form connected to Dorothy and her Ruby slippers. (It’s okay Oliver, I’ll still love you even if you really have no idea how to navigate a Facebook timeline.) Moving along to this week’s bad guys, Diggle is determined to stop a group of mask-wearing bank robbers, but Oliver says he wants nothing to do with these sub-par Starling evil doers: “I don’t fight street crime.” Of course it doesn’t take long for Diggle to convince his new partner to tweak his crime-fighting standards. Spoiler Alert: Even in the middle of a heated attack, the Starling City Police still call him a “vigilante.” Can someone please send them a post-it note explaining that his badass superhero name is Arrow?! In other more romantical news, Tommy is doing his best to woo Laurel and he turns to a somewhat unlikely friend for help. Thus, our show's love-triangle transforms into a kinda, sorta love-square. Oh The CW, you sure know how to toy with our emotions while all the hot people fall in love with one another, don’tcha?
5. How I Met Your Mother: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
This season of HIMYM has been a tad stale, even for the most ardent of the show's fans. That includes myself — I love this show so much, it pains me to admit that six episodes have already aired and very little (of interest, at least) has happened. Barney and Quinn are caput, Robin and her newest beau on are the rocks, and Victoria left Ted without making a single cupcake! So basically, we’re back to square one and hoping praying that we will soon get some progress towards the infamous wedding/mother reveal.
Until then, I caught up with my favorite bro-ther, Wayne Brady, to see if James Stinson is going to make his way back to MacLaren’s Pub anytime soon. “I believe James is,” Brady confirms with a smile. “I don’t know when. I really can't say. They’re bros and he has to be there to back him up. Especially if his big day is going to happen.”
Yay! Barney is always at his best when his fellow suit-lover is around. So what has the other legendary Stinson been up to since we last saw him? Brady muses, “As far as I know, James and his husband, Jay — they hang out, they have the baby and they’re good. They go to fashion week in New York and they go to a couple Broadway shows and life is great.” Now only if he can convince Barney to start thinking about settling down — then we could finally get some progress!
6. The Vampire Diaries: Dark, Rock Bottom
Last week’s episode of TVD was flawless. Elena had her first kill, Jeremy is now a member of The Five, and Matt learned that he could compel a girl just by looking ridiculously hot. But now that so many game changers have come into play, I looked to Vampire Diaries boss lady Julie Plec to shed some light on what’s up next. First up, Stelena: In this week’s episode, Plec says Elena’s irritation over her boyfriend’s deceit will definitely linger. “She’s mad at him," Plec says. "And she definitely starts [this] week super mad at him. And so, forgiveness and understanding and learning the truth of what he was up to and is up to — all those things are up ahead and we’ll see how she handles it.” The showrunner also teased that mistrust is going to impact and possibly shift our love triangle beginning this week. You hear that Delena fans? Oh, you’re hyperventilating with excitement? Proceed.
Now let’s tackle the mythology details, y’all. We’ve met other vampire hunters in Mystic Falls before (RIP Alaric), but what distinguishes The Five from these wannabes? “This is the original story of the vampire hunter told to its end, as opposed to Alaric, who was really pissed off and had a good stake,” Plec reveals.
The quest for answers about the cure is going to be a large arc that we focus on this season, and there are some major challenges ahead. “Oh, everything's about to change in some way or another," Plec says. "Those changes will have a ripple effect through the entire season. I'm not saying it's all going to change next Thursday at 8 o'clock, but there are some pretty big moves next week as a result of this.”
Right now, everything is going to be dark and twisty as Elena deals with the repercussions of killing a hunter, but her life life will eventually improve. “Elena's certainly been in a pretty dark place," Plec says. "[This] week, we kind of hit dark, rock bottom, and then, the episode that follows is like this episode of light and pretty and sun.” We can all thank the Miss Mystic Falls event for our upcoming sunny disposition. Yay for tiaras! Follow Leanne on Twitter @LeanneAguilera
–Additional reporting by Shaunna Murphy
[Photo Credit: ABC, CBS, The CW]
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Somewhere over the rainbow a scarecrow, a tin-man and a formerly cowardly lion are in grave danger, and once again it’s up to Dorothy to save the day. Oh, and her little dog too! In the newest adaptation of the cult classic, Glee’s Lea Michele lends her phenomenal voice to the big screen as the leading lady in Dorothy of Oz.
When the Kansas native is magically whisked back to the land of the yellow brick road, she finds the newest villain — an evil jester — is causing havoc. “Toto this doesn’t look like the Oz I remember,” Dorothy whispers. Now our favorite braided brunette is on a quest to find her old friends, and she meets plenty of new ones along the way.
Joining Michele in this new adventure is the sensational Megan Hilty from NBC’s hit drama Smash. Hilty portrays China Princess, a new character in the animated flick who’s bossiness is a cover for her fragility. “So this is the famous girl who vanquishes wicked witches? I thought you’d be taller,“ the doll-sized princess quips.
The latest chapter in the Oz odyssey will feature plenty of other big names, including Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, Kelsey Grammer, and Bernadette Peters as Glinda.
Check out the newest trailer for Dorothy of Oz below to hear Michele belt out a soon-to-be hit song, and get a sneak peek of her upcoming adventures in Oz!
Dorothy of Oz will hit theaters in 3D next year. Follow Leanne on Twitter @LeanneAguilera
[Photo Credit: Summertime]
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Let's all agree: the 1939 film The Wizard of OZ is a classic. The film's fantastical backdrop, the memorable songs, and the vivid use of Technicolor swirled together like magic, amounting to a piece of cinematic art that's one of the more "perfect" movies in existence. Amazing then, that after the film's release, Hollywood rarely returned to the world of OZ. Save for 1985's dark, semi-sequel Return to OZ (a film directed by Frank Oz that sees Dorothy institutionalized for believing she traveled to the far away land), audiences have never returned to the wondrous place that's been forever burned into our memories.
There's an obvious fear of trying to replicate the magic of Wizard of OZ — how do you top it? — but if there's one man for the job, it's Spider-Man director Sam Raimi. In the new movie OZ, The Great and Powerful, the colorful, fantasy world of OZ is reexplored through the eyes of a recognizable character: the Wizard. Raimi, the guy behind the first three Spidey movies, Evil Dead and heartfelt flicks like The Gift and For Love of the Game, seems like the right man for the job. To star as The Wizard, Raimi enlisted James Franco — an unexpected choice. Did the duo pull it off?
Raimi describes his Wizard as a selfish man, who turns his life around by meeting people in OZ. "The Wizard" starts off as a carnival magician, but he lacks human skills — but he has a good heart. He thinks the way to greatness is fame and fortune. Raimi describes him as limited. He's down on his luck, he's an adulterer and eventually, he's chased out of Kansas. He escapes the mob scene in a balloon...which gets swept up into OZ!
And that's where the exclusive Comic-Con trailer picks up. Things start in Kansas, with black and white that's in the old school television aspect ratio (a nice throwback). When The Wizard takes to the skies, he encounters a giant tornado, like the Disney version of Twister. When he ends up on the other side in OZ, the picture transforms a la the 1939 film. Things are bright (even with 3D glasses on) and colorful, the world popping with fantastical imagery. Alice in Wonderland took a similar approach, creating its world all in CG, and OZ runs with the style and then some. The trailer flashed plenty of intriguing images: talking dolls, explosions, bubbly fairy, Rachel Weisz as a devilish looking evil witch, Michelle Williams elegant as always, long shots of scenic vistas (both dangerous and Mordor like, and the Emerald City that looks straight out of a painting).
One thing the footage doesn't reveal is the depths of Franco's performance. It's a fish out of water story, and much of Franco's interactions are akin to "oh my what is that thing!" gasps (you know, a classic acting school move). The movie is packed with Raimi's imagination, but the first look footage is light on the human element.
Wizard of OZ wowed folks in the '30s with its design, but also with its heart. OZ, Great and Powerful looks to deliver the former, now we'll have to wait until 2013 to see if Franco can deliver the second half.
We caught the very first footage from OZ, The Great and Powerful at San Diego Comic-Con and here's what we saw:
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
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Rachel Weisz Joining ‘Oz, The Great &amp; Powerful’?
[Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures]

Earlier this month, Nigel Lythgoe teased that we could expect big and exciting format changes to kick off the ninth season of So You Think You Can Dance. Now, we know the biggest change is that there will be a male and a female winner.
If only he'd blessed audiences with the same gift in that other show of his. Maybe then we could've avoided the disastrous outcome of American Idol's 11th season.
Alas, there’s nothing like a new hysteria-inducing reality show to pull us out of our Phillip Phillips-induced abyss (or maybe it’s just me). This year’s SYTYCD intro package reminded us that our hearts, our minds and our text allotments have been dominated by singers for months, and now, it’s time to dance.
This year, however, things will look a bit different from seasons’ past. Here's a rundown of the format changes:
--The show runs once per week and combines solos, duets, group numbers and eliminations
--The judges will be charged with eliminating one male and one female from the bottom three America chose the week prior (and as a result, during the first week of live shows, no one goes home)
--There will be one male and one female winner at season's end
Once I get over my excitement of seeing Jackson’s mom from Grey’s Anatomy in the intro teasers, it’s time to start the evening in New York City, where Cat Deeley battles the elements in the entirety of a Land’s End catalogue and Nigel and Mary Murphy are joined by guest judge du juor Tyce Diorio, an Emmy-winning Broadway choreographer.
First up is Amelia Lowe, an 18-year-old 1920’s flapper wannabe who immediately captivates the judges with her part-Rooney Mara, part-lobotomized mental patient persona. After the judges compare her to a silent movie star, she tells them with a grating, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz affect that she loves the overdramatic-ness and theatricality of silent films. Couldn’t tell. At all.
Tyce loves her before the music even starts, calling her adorable before howling and WOOO!-ing excessively throughout her ballet, which somehow seems alternately spectacular and ungraceful. Or maybe it’s just her “Hello, Earthlings,” dopey smile that’s distracting. In any case, she earns a standing O from all the judges and is pushed straight through to Vegas.
Next, we meet an eccentric Japan-native clad head to toe in red, including his bright red Afro explosion. He tells the cameras he particularly enjoys “popping,” “locking” and tucking his foot behind his head while standing. We get the requisite mocking of his inability to speak English from both Nigel and the producers before he embarks on a truly spectacular combination of hip hop and break-dancing that’s perfectly in sync with his dubstep track. At one point, he folds into a pretzel on the ground and stands, causing all the fellas in the house to simultaneously shudder and vomit.
The judges offer him an opportunity to come back for choreography later, which he accepts after they make fun of him yet again for failing to speak English properly.
Because the producers clearly think we still enjoy them, our first joke audition is next. (Ugh.) Austin Freeman, a flannel-clad hipster nerd, is here to grace us all with the joy of “the wiggle.” And when Nigel asks him what he wants to do with his life, he says he hopes to be a celebrity. Love these contestants.
Freeman is disturbingly unfunny, trembling like a seizure victim to “I’m Sexy and I Know It” for far too long before Nigel mercifully cuts the music and suggests he “do more” next time, by which he clearly means, “Learn how to dance.” You know, before auditioning for a dancing contest. As he departs, no one looks remotely entertained. They can barely muster the energy to clap.
Next: Ladies and gents, we've got a flipper on our hands.
Concluding Day One in NYC is Shafeek Westbrook. He’s a flipper. He’s flipping over everything. Chairs, trees, the Statue of Liberty. Not really. Anyway, someone introduce this kid to Joey Gathright.
Westbrook describes himself as a hybrid dancer who incorporates street, break-dancing and hip hop into his repertoire, and he says his showmanship is his X-factor. After an intro package that heavily favored his hip hop side, he shocks the room and the judging panel with an alluring routine that flows beautifully between classical and street elements. Plus, this guy truly is a physical specimen. His pacing, his control, his strength, his ability to support his entire body on one wrist (!!!) …
The house and broadcast audiences stare at Westbrook’s six-pack while Nigel commends his originality and credits him with keeping the SYTYCD franchise afloat. Congratulations! We can all go home now. After Westbrook gets his ticket to Vegas, he tells the panel his story was meant to mimic his deceased friend’s soul as it escaped from the Twin Towers on 9/11.
We get a very brief look at the Day 1 choreography, and we’re informed that our Japanese friend has excused himself after experiencing the rigors of lifting a female partner, but 10 other faceless wonders make it through.
Day 2 begins with 21-year-old Brooklyn native Leo Reyes, who has had plenty of opportunities to audition for the show but never did. He’s here for his mom, whom he and his sister found after she tried to commit suicide with pills. That was his awakening—he realized he couldn’t lose his mother before she saw him dance on a big stage under the bright lights. This kid is 100 percent in the zone already and the dancing hasn’t even started yet.
He performs a heartwrenching ballet number to Drake’s “Look What You’ve Done” —a spectacular choice of music to juxtapose the delicate routine—which seems to have Nigel near tears. Reyes gets a standing O from the crowd, and once he gets his ticket to Vegas, he begins hyperventilating like the most amazing Fantasia-Josh Ledet hybrid ever. Dude is very likeable. He’s clearly meant to be one of the token sob stories, but he seems refreshingly genuine and somehow un-sappy.
After a brief montage of terrible dancers—including a pair painted head to toe in silver and a hypersexual yet exceedingly unappealing dude in biker shorts who made Tyce “uncomfortable”—we get our final New York City solo, courtesy of a Robin Thicke doppelganger with an undetermined accent who is trained in ballet but “wants to bring his own style” into it, too.
And he’s dancing to “Sail” by AWOLNATION! I love him already. He mashes up his classical training with more modern street elements and gymnastics that, not gonna lie, are 100 percent enhanced by a perfect choice of music. It’s obvious that ballet is where he excels, but his effort to stretch and challenge himself is commendable and makes for a far more entertaining number.
No surprise, here: Tyce says Thicke 2.0 is ridiculous and sick and amazing, and he sails on through to Hollywood Vegas. (Damn you, Idol.)
And that’s a wrap on New York City, homies. Eleven more dancers make it through after choreography, so that totals 38 second-rounders from the Big Apple.
On to the next! We’re in Dallas, y’all. Cat is wearing a very festive ranch-chic poncho to celebrate, and our new guest judge is Lil C.
We begin with super-cute 29-year-old mom of two Bree Hafen, who offers the standard teary sound byte about how she put her dreams on hold for her kids (yawn). Nigel invites the kids down to the judges’ table, and there’s no point in watching the rest of this audition because sending her home in front of her kids would be like decapitating a unicorn.
Her ballet routine is controlled and earnest, but it honestly doesn’t get that good until the end, which Nigel acknowledges after the fact. Alas, he sends one of Bree’s kids onstage with the ticket to Vegas midway through the routine, then asks said child to perform in her amazing pink tutu. Watch out, Sofia Grace and Rosie.
And here, we finally arrive at “The Exorcist” pair Nigel has spent so much of the preseason raving about. Dudes are actually terrifying. Horror films, cartoons and video games have influenced their styles, and they spend much of their intro package rolling their eyes back into their heads and imitating the zombie apocalypse from Season 2 of True Blood.
Stepheon “The Zombie” Stewart is up first, and his street dancing is actually plenty entertaining and rhythmically perfect, even without the zombie, Chucky-face shtick. He even reverse-crab walks down the stairs at the front of the stage, which compels Mary to either howl in fear or laugh; no way to tell. After Stepheon floats into the wings at the end of the number, he reemerges, looking purposely dazed. Standing O from the crowd and automatic ticket to Vegas.
Hampton “The Exorcist” Williams is on next, and he tells the judges he’s ready to interpret their pain and fear and cleanse their souls. Yeah, okay, I internally scoff. But holy moly, I feel like he really did exorcise my demons! That’s how good he was.
The beginning of the routine, choreographed to Evanescence’s “My Immortal,” revolves around to some very controlled and rhythmic twitching, accompanied by a truly haunting countenance. This guy is a real performer; his control and his showmanship are spectacular. He’s “freestyling from the heart,” as Lil C says. This is, by about 87.5 miles, the most scintillating, captivating performance of the night. You cannot tear your eyes away. He ends the routine by mimicking pulling out his heart and throwing it on the floor, then crawling to his death. Exorcism complete.
Early favorite in the hiz-ouse. Hampton receives a very well-deserved standing ovation from all living souls in the room, most of whom are crying. Mary is weeping the way I weep when I watch BB Chez sing with Jennifer Holliday. It’s obvious why Nigel couldn’t stop talking about this kid in the months leading up to the premiere.
Over-under on how many times I watch this on YouTube tonight?
Day Two in Dallas begins with Australian Daniel Baker, who decided he wanted to move to America after his dad gave him a book filled with pictures of U.S. buildings. At the time, he had no dance training, but he determined that the only way to get to this lovely country of ours was to become a ballet dancer so he could get a sponsored visa. Naturally. Why didn’t I think of that? He now dances with the San Francisco ballet.
Next: What's a little SYTYCD without gratuitous shirtlessness?Baker promptly disposes of his shirt once he gets onstage and performs a contemporary ballet routine to something that (I’m embarrassing myself here) sounds like some variation of the Mission Impossible theme. He’s excellent, flawless. Perfect form, perfect timing, perfect mechanics. The ladies in the house chant “Vegas!” when he’s finished, and the judges embark upon their tired, pretend-to-be-nonplussed routine before offering him a ticket to the next round.
After a quick montage of the four best female applicants in Dallas (obviously, they get a 30-second rundown among them), we get another five minutes dedicated to a contestant who works in an autism research center and tells the judges he’s on the spectrum himself. He says he’s never been trained in dance and performs a “lyrical freestyle,” beginning his routine in the Buddha pose and thoroughly enjoying himself by waving his arms like Glimmer fighting the tracker jackers. Nigel gives him his 15 minutes before cutting the music and telling him he won’t be moving on to Vegas or to choreography, but he should never stop dancing.
And then we come to the most highly entertaining portion of the evening, where a disgruntled applicant insists he hates cuts under his fingernails less than he hates this show, and yet he’s auditioning anyway. He repeatedly tells Cat that he detests the show’s gimmicks and its favoritism, then bizarrely says he doesn’t want to be a part of it at all. Yes, this is before his audition. Cat visibly grits her teeth and tries not to suckerpunch him before sending him off to the wolves.
Our friend keeps mouthing off once he gets in front of the judges while every member of the audience repeatedly face-palms and Nigel tries to reason with him. Somewhat surprisingly, when he finally begins a rocky break-dancing routine, he isn’t terrible, but still, there’s no way he’s getting through to the next round. Lil C calls him out for being unfocused, Mary says it wasn’t very entertaining and Nigel tells him he talks a big game and didn’t bring it. Dude stank-faces his way through the entire critique before Nigel goes Supernanny on him and decrees, “You’ve got a bad attitude, young man. … You are the worst person, in attitude, we’ve had on this show!”
He exits awkwardly as a hush falls over the room.
Fortunately, we have Jarell Rochelle to restore the good vibes. He desperately wants to make it big in the dance world before his mother’s degenerative vision disease renders her unable to see him perform. Nigel invites Mom up to the judges table, where she watches Jarell perform a captivating story about the sadness that comes with the passage of time, expertly weaving together his immense skill, technique and emotion. Nigel tells Jarell his smile is engrossing, Lil C says he was thoroughly touched and then Nigel hands the Vegas ticket to Jarell’s mother. Happiness for all.
And that’s a wrap on Week One. What did you think? Were you as impressed with The Exorcist as I was? Who shouldn’t have gotten a ticket to Vegas? And most importantly, did you cry more or less frequently than Mary?
More:
The Best So You Think You Can Dance Numbers of All Time

Five years ago, Warner Bros. sued AVELA for the distribution of merchandise bearing the likenesses of characters from the 1939 films The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind, as well as the cartoon short series Tom and Jerry. Warner Bros. won the case on the grounds of copyright infringement, symbolizing the definitive controlling stake the studio has in these cinematic icons.
While this particular episode might not hit very close to home with the public, the fact is that Warner Bros. degree of control could inevitably effect, or even destroy, currently in-production incarnations of these films, specifically The Wizard of Oz, which has nine derivative projects in the works. Two of these projects are being developed by Warner Bros. itself (or subsidiaries), Oz—about which little is known—and Oz: Return to Emerald City, which places Dorothy’s lawyer granddaughter into the magical world to defeat a new witch.
Other companies’ projects which might face more legal peril include:
Dorothy of Oz: Summertime Entertainment’s indie animation film featuring the voices of Glee’s Lea Michele as Dorothy and Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammer and James Belushi as the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion respectively.
Oz, the Great and Powerful: Disney’s 3D prequel to the 1939 film starring James Franco (of course) and directed by Sam Raimi.
Wicked: Speculation has it that Universal might back the film-adaptation of the Broadway sensation, with possible stars including Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel.
The Witches of Oz: Already in post-filming stages, Leigh Scott adapts to film one of the original sequels, starring Paulie Rojas as an adult Dorothy recovering memories of the magical land (sounds familiar to another classic story destroyed in cinematic reimagination). Also starring are Sean Astin, Christopher Lloyd and Lance Henrikson.
Dark Oz: An adaptation of the Caliber Comics steampunk series wherein Dorothy’s return to Oz finds that her former trio of comrades have become tyrannical dictators. To be directed by Perry Teo and to star The Fugees’ Pras Michael.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: John Boorman, director of 1974’s Oz-inspired Zardoz, oversees a CGI adaptation of the original novel.
Surrender Dorothy: A film originally slated to star Drew Barrymore, but currently on production hiatus.
So how many of these will escape legal damnation? Let’s pull, at the very least, for Wicked…and maybe Dorothy of Oz. Also, Oz, the Great and Powerful sounds pretty cool… Warner Bros., please be generous.
Source: Hollywood Reporter, FilmBuffOnline

Boy have I got a surprise for you if you've managed not to see any movie since 2003 when Johnny Depp started dressing up as the rockstar and perhaps bi-curious king of all pirates, Jack Sparrow. Disney is prepping a semi-prequel to The Wizard of Oz called Oz, the Great and Powerful (no offense, Mouse-house, but I'd seek a title change) and their great hope, Robert Downey Jr. is no longer in the game. Of course, because Depp has become lord of crazy caricatures in the last decade and because he was the only good part of Alice In Wonderland outside of the fantastical visuals and because he singlehandedly took the Pirates of The Caribbean movies from seaworthy fun to an iconic, albeit sometimes rocky, set of movies, Disney is seeking his hand as the lead in Oz.
Sam Raimi is set to direct the tale of the Wizard of Oz before he became the wizard. The story finds the man who would be the wizard as a young man (although I think it's pushing it to call Depp a young man) fleeing a traveling circus. He of course takes a hot air balloon to escape, is sidetracked by a tornado that lands him smack dab in the Land of Oz - hey, isn't that what happened to Dorothy? Yep, pretty much, except instead of taking a hot air balloon, she took a nap. Of course, the land is run by two witches, but instead of one good and one bad, both are wicked.
Obviously Disney hopes that Depp will return to their world with more of his grandiose, flamboyant style that made him a favorite in so many other family-friendly ventures (like Alice and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory), but the timing may keep him from falling down that rabbit hole. He's got The Lone Ranger, for Disney as well, setting up production around the same time, so committing to Oz could mean pushing the entire production of The Lone Ranger back. Disney loves Depp so we may see that happening, but it could be a problem for everyone else involved with the production whose schedules may not permit the shift. Who knows at this point; Disney places a lot of stock in Depp so he may be the determining factor rather than his cast mates.
Source: Hollywood Reporter

The 15 year old star of Charlotte's Web and War of the Worlds is set to take the lead in a follow-up to the classic 1939 movie that shot Judy Garland to fame.
The film's producer, Basil Iwanyk, says, "It will be set in the present day and feature Dorothy's granddaughter.
The original film - based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - won a number of awards including the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Co-producer Todd McFarlane adds, "You've still got Dorothy trapped in an odd place, but she's much closer to the Ripley character from Alien than a helpless singing girl.
The classic original already has one sequel - the 1985 film, Return to Oz, was based on Baum's novels Ozma of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz.

Synopsis

The story of Dorothy's further adventures in the land of Oz as she and her friends, Jack Pumpkin Head and Tic Toc the Tin Man, battle Tyrone the Terrible Toy Maker, who seeks to gain control of Winkle Country, an odd little region of Oz.